


Ghost

by Durrr07



Series: Zutara Month [2020] [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bloodbending, Blue Spirit - Freeform, F/M, Fighting, Painted Lady - Freeform, Post-War, Zutara, Zutara Month, Zutara Month 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22538713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Durrr07/pseuds/Durrr07
Summary: She turns her head to the left and sees exactly what she was hoping not to. They have her husband hostage, a dagger at his throat.One deep breath and he’ll be bleeding.Zutara Month Prompts 1 & 4 combined together.[Blue Spirit & Painted Lady + 'Don't Hurt Him/Her']Featuring a badass Katara & sacrificing Zuko.
Relationships: Blue Spirit/Painted Lady, Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Month [2020] [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621741
Comments: 10
Kudos: 176





	Ghost

“Don’t move.”

The words come out rough, like a growl but quiet enough to be a whisper. Despite the clash of swords, the singeing of skin and hair and the cries from her opponents, she heard it loud and clear.

She turns her head to the left and sees exactly what she was hoping not to. They have her husband hostage, a dagger at his throat. One deep breath and he’ll be bleeding. And his mask has been removed. The identity of the Blue Spirit now revealed to these rebels.

It had started out simple enough. Helping out a small town being tormented by rebel rule should have been a quick and easy job for the legendary Painted Lady and Blue Spirit. That is until the ambush attacked innocent citizens near sunset and they had no choice but to step in.

She scans the clearing quickly; nine fighters in total, four of them are down, one has just weapons [assumed to be a non-bender], and the remaining three are earth benders. The one holding Zuko has a dagger but is otherwise assumed a bender and he’s pushing the blade it closer and closer to Zuko's trachea.

“Do not hurt him.” She says steadily, hands in the air as a surrender, plan already forming in her head. She feels the moon rising as the sun sets lower below the horizon. She’s watching Zuko’s eyes intently and he knows exactly what she is thinking. He keeps his breath calm and gaze locked on hers despite the thin veil covering her face. _Together._

She blinks and it’s there, a pulling from them all. She can sense the liquids within, the blood pumping through their veins; their heartbeats, their breathing. There is a rustle of dirt behind her so she stays focused on the slow movements, one of them likely coming to grab her to submit. Their arm is raised and she guesses they have a weapon to knock her out with. The steps get closer and she counts down _‘3, 2, 1— ‘_

She swears it all happens in slow motion.

She folds her legs to avoid the swing that was going to collide with the side of her head. Once her knees hit the ground, she stretches fingers, finding all those chords, and pulls her hands down towards her abdomen. The man behind her collapses to the ground, gasping as his windpipe tightens. Two of the three benders do the same.

The others are stunned and Zuko takes his chance. He slams his head back into his capture, effectively breaking his nose and stunning him enough to completely loosen his hold. With the element of his identity now known, he uses his firebending to combat the stones flying towards him.

Katara brings the other bender to his knees as Zuko combats the remaining rebel. Once they are heeding her commands, she releases their airways so they can gulp in some air. She pulls water from the moss growing around the clearing to cover their feet and hands in thick slabs of ice and then pinches a part of them to put them to sleep for a while. They are taken care of in seconds.

She takes a deep breath, noting how tired she really is. They’ve been fighting for quite some time that even that short spirt of bloodbending drained so much of what was left.

She stands as Zuko fights the only remaining fighter. He is quick on his feet and seems to be right in match with Zuko’s bending. Katara notes how its a constant struggle for either of them to gain power. The earthbender is growling with frustration as his attacks on Zuko become harder and faster. So she raises her hands in a repetitive motion, bringing a puddle of water around him upwards like thin strings. Her strings turn into thin strips of ice and she’s moving them so fast they start cutting up his arms. He shouts and starts adding boulders of armor to his arms and legs.

His back is to the tall grass they’ve been fighting around. Katara see’s his eyes move from side to side, never breaking strides with Zuko. He must be getting tired but he shows no signs. He keeps throwing and projecting pieces of earth and Zuko only has to time to cover and protect himself. He’s backed into a corner and Katara knows he is thinking of escapes routes. She’s trying to stay a step ahead of him or at least keep up to avoid injury to Zuko or her. But that’s when time speeds up---

He steps forward, and then again and again but with his armor weighing him down, he is using his bending to shift the earth below to create steps but faster and longer strides. Katara moves to ready a water whip but he draws his dagger with one hand and launches boulders at Zuko with the other. She creates an ice barrier between him and Zuko, seeing where he’s taking the weapon but is taken completely off guard when he shifts the mud beneath him towards her. He pulls his weapon back and Katara is quick to shift her weight and move like air to the side. She tries to stop his arms movement completely but her energy is still too low. He thrusts his arm forward, easily shifting with her direction change like it hasn’t even fazed him. Her eyes go wide realizing how close she is to getting stabbed.

But a blur makes her lose focus and time returns to normal speed.

He did it—he did it _again._

Her heart goes still and she feels her breath halt while her brain catches up with the motions. Zuko is at her feet, dagger dug deep with in his stomach, blood pooling around his wound. The earthbender is looking at Zuko, a grin gracing his lips as he looks to catch up. His breath comes in heavy puffs, and his body slouches. _Guard down._

Katara musters everything she can, every drop of water in the air, in the grass and trees, and pulls them to form a sphere around them all. Thousands of droplets just levitating mid air suddenly change shape into sharp little icicles. The earthbender catches on right before they impact the skin he has left venerable, including the chest and neck. 

_Big mistake._

He gurgles a few times, blood seeping from every visible inch of him, before dropping to the ground motionless.

She wastes no time and drops down to her knees while she grips the dagger still embedded in his skin and pulls it out with an apology leaving her lips. Zuko groans in pain but holds onto her knee. Keeping her focus, she pulls the water from her waterskin and starts to heal. She feels his intestines and which ones were damaged and starts the repair there. 

“Katara---“

“Shhh. Save your breath Zuko. You need the rest.” She smiles down at him with watery eyes while pulling off her hat and veil.

She can feel his muscles and those take minutes longer. The dagger gratefully avoided the ribs so no bone repair is necessary. She seals the skin after the process is finished and lets the water clean his blood.

He reaches up to cup her cheek and wipe away some stray tears that are falling down her cheek.

“Please don’t cry.” 

She shakes her head, thinking that will help but it really doesn’t. He sits up slowly because his abdomen is still sore. After a couple of deep breaths, he moves to stand up and she is there to help him. He turns to her and starts patting her down, moving his hands up and down her body. He’s checking for injuries, making sure she is completely okay.

There are marks, cuts here and there and bruises that will be visible by morning lest she leave them tonight, but she doesn’t care. Her fingers trace his chest, touching the starburst scar from nearly a decade ago. Her fingers follow down his stomach, where there would be a scar if she hadn’t been quick enough, if she hadn’t got to him, if she---

He grabs her hand and pulls her closer to him, interlacing their fingers. His other hand nudges her chin up so she can look at him. Her eyes are distant and glossy.

“Don’t think like that love. You know I have done this for you, you know I will always do this for you and you know this is not and will never be at your fault.”

Her lower lip trembles before her arms shoot around his neck. He wraps himself around her, closing any distance that was left between them. His calloused fingers smooth out her hair, his legs twisting them subtly as he whispers to her.

They remain this way for a few moments, Katara letting herself go through the grief of nearly losing him again before they pull back slightly. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, wiping the remains of her tears before leaning down to meet her lips.

It’s a soft kiss, to remember that they are together and they are safe. Then the kiss becomes urgent, teeth tucked close behind their closed lips but nearly smashing together. She winds her hands around his chest, his falling to her hips. Her tongue barely traces his bottom lip before his darts out to meet hers. It’s all heat and grinding from there. Their lost in this moment, using it to anchor them and remind them they are here but not long before she pulls back, her breaths puff around them in the cooler night air. He drinks it in, forgetting how easily he can get lost in these motions with her.

As they come down, his eyes scan the clearing. All of the rebels are incapacitated, scorch marks and dry leaves are scattered and his mask lays a couple of feet away. Not the most romantic location he thinks.

“Lets go home okay? I can heal us both better if you can get me a warm bath.” She says with a smile which makes him feel much better. He returns the smile and kisses her once more.

“Lets go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Zutara Month Everyone!  
> I combined Day 1 & 4 for this short little piece.  
> This one is very slightly AU but I didn't delve into the background plot as much.
> 
> Hope you like it :]  
> Can't wait to read all of your pieces for this month because that is all I'm legit doing--reading Zutara as much as I can.


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